Company Secrets with Daniela Cardim: Directing Ballet Arizona

In this episode, Daniela Cardim, artistic director of Ballet Arizona, delves into the audition process and what she looks for in dancers. She emphasizes the importance of personality and artistry, noting that dancers who express themselves and show creativity during auditions stand out. Daniela explains that while technical skill is crucial, the ability to convey emotion and engage with the audience is equally important. She advises dancers not to be discouraged by rejections, as auditions are often about finding the right fit for specific roles or company needs. Daniela also highlights the significance of open communication, encouraging dancers to advocate for themselves and share any concerns with the artistic staff. The episode provides valuable insights for dancers on how to navigate auditions and thrive in a professional company environment.

Transcript

Jared Redick (00:04)
Welcome to Company Secrets Ballet Unfiltered, the podcast where we pull back the curtain on the professional dance world. Each week, I sit down with artistic directors and industry leaders to have candid conversations about how dance companies really work, what they're looking for, how decisions get made, and what it takes to thrive. I'm your host, Jared Redick.

My guest today is Daniela Cardim, a celebrated choreographer, director, and former dancer, and the current artistic director of Ballet Arizona. Born in Brazil, Daniela began her professional career with the Ballet of the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro. She later joined the Dutch National Ballet, where she danced a wide range of classical and contemporary works. Daniela began choreographing while still performing, with her early works earning international recognition. She was selected for the New York

Choreographic Institute and has since created work for major companies across Europe, Australia, and the Americas. She's also a passionate mentor and educator with Teaching Experience, Studio Wayne McGregor, and several major companies. Now as Artistic Director of Ballet Arizona, Daniela brings a global perspective, choreographic insight, and a deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. Welcome, Daniela.

Daniela Cardim (01:25)
Thank very much. Thank you for having me.

Jared Redick (01:27)
I'm so glad you were able to make time to have this conversation today. Tell us what a typical day looks like for you as an artistic director.

Daniela Cardim (01:37)
Changes is never the same, which is nice actually. It depends very much if I am involved in a production. So if I'm in the studio with the dancers or if I'm not. If I am not directly involved, once a week I teach class. Otherwise I have my office work and that's a lot. Every day there are many, many mails to answer and meetings to have with the team. We always have a leadership team meeting once a week. That means that I meet with.

head of production, marketing, philanthropy, school director. And we meet as a group once a week and we also have separate meetings. And then of course, as I plan the following seasons, I have to do all that planning and contact choreographers. So yeah, it's always very busy. And if I am in the studio with the dancers, then of course that's lovely. That's probably the best part is just to be with them and coach and rehearse them.

Jared Redick (02:32)
Are you able to find much time to coach and work with the dancers?

Daniela Cardim (02:37)
Yes or no, it depends very much what's going on because there's a lot going on. So for example, we have a gala and we have sometimes like events. So I have to be involved in that as well. Last year, because it was my first year, I have to say I would have liked to be in the studio more than I was able to because on that first year, there is so much that you have to do and get familiar with changes you want to make. So I really had to give a lot of attention to that side of things.

I was in the studio with them, but not so much. This year, as is my second year, and a lot of things have been already settled, and also I'm more involved choreographing, then I will be able to be in the studio more and coach them more.

Jared Redick (03:21)
What drew you to Ballet Arizona?

Daniela Cardim (03:25)
I was in a phase in my career where I had been in the UK for 14 years and I was a choreographer, an independent choreographer, and also assistant director at New English Ballet Theater. I felt that part of my life was kind of, the cycle was about to end and I wanted a new challenge. And then I started looking to America for some reason, it was almost like an intuition that I think my next chapter

will be in America. In Val Arizona, I was advertising the artistic director job and I researched a lot about the company and I thought, you know what, actually this might be a very good fit because they need somebody that choreographs and has all the artistic knowledge, but they also need somebody that has a very good understanding of the management side of things. And that's something that I have.

done in my career after I stopped dancing, I studied arts management. did a BA for three years in London. And I've always been very interested, you know, the organization as a whole, not only the artistic side, but really how that machine works and all the pieces. That machine needs to work really well for a company to be successful. I did study and like invest a lot of my time.

on that side of things as well. was a company manager as well for a while. So I think it was just, I felt that it would possibly be a good match. The company had a wonderful reputation. It seemed like it could work. So yeah, I applied and here I am.

Jared Redick (05:01)
It seems like it went very well for you since you were there now. I mean, yes, it's such a wonderful company with such a wonderful rep. You talked about your arch management degree and do you find that that has been very helpful to you in your current role, that schooling that you do?

Daniela Cardim (05:17)
For sure, extremely. I do think that it's very helpful to have an understanding of what else the company needs to function and to understand marketing, to understand philanthropy, to understand production. All of these aspects, I really do think it's helpful. You know, if you can as a leader to have some insight of that side as well, it is just really helpful because I think it saves a lot of time because you can

quickly understand the needs from those departments and then do your best to make the artistic side work well with the other side of the organization. That's really important. I feel that sometimes some companies have this feeling of the artistic is separate from the rest from the administration side. And that is actually naturally happens ⁓ in lot of organizations, but it's not practical. It's not helpful. So.

One of the challenges of being an artistic director is working really well with the executive director and making that company work as one organization. And that's really the work that I have been emphasizing with my executive director this year.

Jared Redick (06:29)
I think it really is a balance of like left brain, right brain, right? It's the analytical versus the creative in balancing those because that is what a nonprofit organization and how a ballet company actually functions. You do have to have the business side of the organization working very, very closely with the artistic.

Daniela Cardim (06:47)
Yes, because you can't function without the business side. It is a business in the end. You have to sell tickets, you have to gather support. And yeah, so as I say, it is like a machine. That machine, every piece in that machine is important. So it is helpful to understand that machine.

Jared Redick (07:05)
Yeah, as my old artistic director, Edward Vilela, used to say, we're in the business of art. And so that's where we find ourselves in the business of art. Moving on to kind of pulling back the curtain of the audition and hiring process. How many dancers do you currently have in the company?

Daniela Cardim (07:22)
We have 34 dancers in the main company and we have 15 dancers in the studio company.

Jared Redick (07:29)
Okay, and do you also have trainees or apprentices?

Daniela Cardim (07:32)
I have one apprentice in the company, so that's considered a company-delser apprentice. We don't have trainees, no. We are restructuring our school at the moment. We just have a new school director.

Jared Redick (07:44)
How many weeks of work does the company operate under?

Daniela Cardim (07:47)
The company has a 38-week contract and the company has a 38-week working period. And next season, we are going to extend that period to 40 weeks.

Jared Redick (08:00)
think that in the United States having between 38 and 42 is kind of that's a sweet spot of where you're employed enough, you're dancing enough, but then you also have enough time off so you can rest because it is incredibly taxing to dance that many weeks of the year. And then for the company, how many performances do you have per season approximately?

Daniela Cardim (08:21)
We

have six programs and each program has, it depends if the Nutcracker has about 15 to 18 performances. The other programs have five or six performances each.

Jared Redick (08:32)
Okay, so we're somewhere probably in the neighborhood of 40 to 50, perhaps more with other things that are happening maybe not in the programmed season, but maybe in the community. Dancers who are looking to the company, how can they tell if you're hiring?

Daniela Cardim (08:47)
It's usually on our website, so we post if we're needing answers. Even if there isn't any need at the moment, they can email their material, we do check. And sometimes it's good to have, you know, we keep the materials. So if something happens and we need a dancer, all of a sudden we will look through the people that have sent their materials.

Jared Redick (09:11)
So if something happens during the season, you flag certain dancers who maybe that you couldn't hire at one moment, but maybe you're like, hey, we actually need someone for Nutcracker or Beauty or Romeo and Juliet or whatever the production might be.

Daniela Cardim (09:24)
Yes, yes. But the main way to join our company really is to attend one of the auditions that we have. We have an audition in New York and then an audition in Phoenix every year. And that really is the best way to have a good chance. The four dancers that I hired for this season, two were in the New York audition and two were in the Phoenix audition.

Jared Redick (09:47)
Okay, and do you accept people's emails information if they send you links and CVs and things like that?

Daniela Cardim (09:54)
Yeah, they can send that. One of our artistic staff members will, you know, checks that often. And if there is a need or if there is anybody interesting, they will pass that to me.

Jared Redick (10:06)
So you are watching the audition, you're in the auditions, you're in New York or Phoenix. What qualities catch your eye? What kind of dancers catch your eye? For me,

Daniela Cardim (10:15)
It's really important to have personality or charisma when you're dancing. I think, you know, sometimes there's, there are so many people in the room and one dancer will just catch your eye and you can't stop watching that dancer. And it's kind of difficult to explain why, but that happened. I will say that I like when dancers perform when they're auditioning. And by that, I mean, of course it is class and it's not the same as being on stage.

But because we cannot see a dancer on stage in an audition, it is a class. I want to see a little bit of the artistry. I want to see a little bit of their personality when they are dancing, even in class. So I like when dancers have some kind of expression and they actually dance. They are not just doing the exercise very robotically and worried about the technique. Yes, of course you want to do your best with the technique.

But if you show that you dance, you have, you know, use your upper body, your epaulm, you have a light expression, you have something to give as an artist, that will catch my eye.

Jared Redick (11:25)
Well, that's very helpful for dancers who are going to come and audition for your company to know. Some directors, they prefer someone who's more of a technician, but obviously that does not seem to be the case for you. I have no doubt you want them to have good, strong, clean technique, but it's a very short moment in time when you have an audition and you can only see so much. And so you have to see who is the artist behind the dancer in front of me.

Daniela Cardim (11:50)
Yeah, exactly that. And of course, there are other factors, right? I could be looking for a certain type of dancer for many different reasons. And I think that's something important for dancers who are auditioning to know that if they don't get the job, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are not good dancers because we normally are looking for a certain...

type of dancer. So for example, if I am replacing a dancer who left in the company and that dancer sort of leaves a gap or is a male dancer or a female dancer, I'm going to be looking for specifically somebody that can fit that place, right? Or I could be looking for a specific level of experience. So I could be looking for a dancer that is younger, that has the potential to grow and develop in the company. Or I could be looking for a dancer who is more mature.

and has more experience or is more of a soloist level. So that will influence who I am looking for. If I know that I have a repertoire, a certain repertoire coming next season and I have a ballet that needs a specific kind of dancer and I feel that I don't have enough in the company, I will look for that quality specifically. So there are those things in the back of our mind.

And I think that's important for dancers auditioning to know because as a dancer, you will probably go through many auditions. And if you don't pass, it's okay. It might just mean that you're not exactly what the director is looking for at the moment. But I think you just have to go to enough auditions to hopefully get lucky to be that person that director is looking for.

Jared Redick (13:33)
Yes, it's always about context and timing, right? I'm a big believer in timing in life and how these opportunities unfold because you never know what someone is looking for at that moment in time.

Daniela Cardim (13:44)
Exactly, and you know, I really believe that all you can do is do your best, right? You go, you do your best. And the result, you can control the result, right? And I think it's important for dancers to know that there are all those reasons why choices are made. And that doesn't mean that they are not good dancers if they were not chosen.

Jared Redick (14:04)
I'd love to get your perspective about what you wish young dancers knew about company life.

Daniela Cardim (14:12)
Good

question. So company life is very different from school, I think. I'm trying to think about how, when I started in a company, how I felt. And you know, in the beginning, you joined this group that you're not familiar with. And I think at a company, you are a lot more on your own. You're responsible for keeping shape, keeping your technique, being careful not to get injured. So you need to be very much in charge of your own career, your own health, and

technique, et cetera. You get less corrections that you got in school, less attention that you got in school. So that is that aspect. But also, I think it's important to know that you shouldn't be intimidated by that. I think it's important to show your personality, get familiar with the dancers, assume as well, get comfortable, and find your own place in the company. So I guess that's one thing that I would, it's always a little bit.

It's little bit daunting when you first join a company and you don't know the people, you don't know what to expect. I guess just know that that's normal and that the first year is an adaptation year. It's an year where you're going to understand how things work and find your own place in the company. Allowing yourself the time to get used to things and discover how things work is important.

Jared Redick (15:33)
Yes, you're starting from ground zero basically when you join the company. Whereas you rose to the top level of the school, now you're starting at the bottom again in the company. Regardless of how talented you are or what you've accomplished up to that point. It's a whole new ball game once you join a company. And thinking about mental health being so important for the well-being of dancers, especially in a profession that demands so much physicality. What's one habit or mindset that served you?

Daniela Cardim (15:49)
Yeah, exactly.

Jared Redick (16:02)
throughout your career.

Daniela Cardim (16:03)
think it's important as a dancer to keep in mind that not everything that happens has to do with you directly. I suppose it's don't take things personally. I think dancers take things personally a lot. And decisions that are made with casting and rehearsals, they usually are taking a lot of things into consideration and it usually is not about one dancer. So I guess having that mindset that, you you come, you do your best, you really do your best, and that's all you can do.

and the rest is not, you can't necessarily control. I think that's an important thing to know. The other thing that I think is very important is just to enjoy it. Know that that's such a wonderful opportunity and privilege to be in a company and perform to an audience. And that is also, you should be proud of that. That's because you worked so hard and you are in that position. So I guess being proud and confident about your work.

And enjoying dancing, I think it's a good mindset to have. Not get caught in the little things and gossips and things happening around you, but concentrate on your own work. Come and do your work, do your best. you know, in a way that to be a dancer is kind of a selfish profession because it's about you taking care of you all the time. And of course there is teamwork and you work with other dancers, et cetera, but you're responsible for it yourself.

So you gotta be a little bit strong in terms of being prepared mentally for that.

Jared Redick (17:36)
I completely agree with you on the point about it being a privilege to be in a company and I think that can be lost. You young dancers do work really hard to get to that place of achieving the company contract but then the structure that it required to allow dancers to have that position in a company, it's a real privilege and it takes so many people to make that happen.

Daniela Cardim (18:00)
And I'll just remember that if you actually got that job, my God, I mean, how many people wanted to and didn't make it. So if you make it, it's really wonderful. You really should be proud of yourself. That's the result of years and years of work. And it is a privilege to be on stage and dance for an audience professionally. I guess, know, just that positive look and constantly remind yourself of how special it is to be a professional dancer.

is an important thing.

Jared Redick (18:31)
recommend that dancers advocate for themselves?

Daniela Cardim (18:34)
Personally, I have an open door policy. Any of my dancers can come to me and I tell them that. If you have a question, if you have a problem, if you have something you want me to know, you're welcome to knock on my door or make an appointment and talk. I think it's important to have open communication. I think dancers sometimes forget that we cannot read minds. So sometimes we are in the studio and we see a dancer for some reason not very engaged or a dancer that looks like...

They are marking and if you don't tell the person in front of the studio, the ballet master or the director, have pain here today. Can I please take it easy or I'm going to take it easy on this? We don't know. So we might read that behavior wrongly simply because we don't have that information. So I encourage my dancers to tell us when there is anything at all happening. I'm not feeling well today or...

I'm feeling that I have pain somewhere and if I force it, it could get worse. Please come and tell us, don't be afraid. Especially sometimes young dancers, they don't wanna say that because they wanna be seen as always there and always giving 100 % and they're a little bit scared to say what's going on. But we actually really appreciate when the dancer comes to us and share if there is something happening that is impacting their ability.

to rehearse or to perform. So I do think that that communication is very, very important.

Jared Redick (20:06)
This is such a human art form and we use our body to do our work every day. So it is important that these young dancers do speak up and advocate for themselves and let people know what's going on. Because I think as the dance world is changing and maybe some of the environments are changing within ballet companies, there is more opportunity for them to speak up about what is happening with them so that the artistic staff and management can help support them.

through whatever it is that they're dealing with.

Daniela Cardim (20:37)
Yes, absolutely. And that for me is very important. I was very fortunate when I was at Dutch National Ballet. The management was very open to conversations and I always felt comfortable talking to the artistic director about anything that was happening or even sometimes any wishes that I had. And I felt that was so helpful for me as a dancer to have that space. So this is something that I try to really do.

now that I'm artistic director to give that space for dancers to communicate and advocate for themselves.

Jared Redick (21:10)
Well, they're very lucky to have a director who is trying to create that environment or has created that environment so they can thrive within that and have a more human approach to this very, very challenging art form. Yes. When you were a young dancer, did you ever think you'd be an artistic director? Is this something that was on your radar for many years when you were a younger dancer? And now you've achieved that.

Daniela Cardim (21:35)
Not until I was a little bit older, so perhaps in my 30s. I was at Dutch National Ballet and there they have, it's not an union, it works a little bit different, but they have a group of dancers that represent the company, represent the other dancers. And they work in a very collaborative way in the sense that that group of dancers has regular meetings with the artistic director and the executive director, and they feel like they can have a say.

on many things. I was elected to be part of this body and eventually I became the chairperson and I did that for many years. And that was a huge learning curve for me because that's when I really started understanding the other side of what a company is and what management really is and all the things that they have to consider because as dancers we're looking at our side of things. But we don't always understand

why decisions are made. So that really gave me the opportunity to understand how things worked. And that was sort of, I thought, well, you know what? I really like that side of things as well. I like the management side of things. I would like to be an artistic director one day. So that was when I started thinking about it and I was a developing choreographer as well. started choreographing.

So I wasn't sure which way things were going, but certainly, yes, I then, thought I would love to be an artistic director one day.

Jared Redick (23:05)
And here you are, congratulations on that. One year in at Ballet Arizona, which leads us to my next question for you, which is, you're Ballet Arizona, you've been there for just a minute, what kind of dream project or collaboration would you love to bring to the company?

Daniela Cardim (23:23)
have a few dream projects. think the first one that I can reveal is that I want to establish an yearly choreography lab. I feel that the company needs the space, the dancers need the space to test their creativity, have an opportunity to start playing with choreography. That is how I started.

And the only reason why I became a choreographer is because that space was there in the company that I was. This is why, well, it's a little bit of a secret, but it won't be anymore. So this is why we want to increase the contract to 40 weeks and add two weeks because we're going to add a choreography lab. And that's going to be a space open to any dancer who wants to choreograph. And there'll be a sharing performance at the end. So for me to make the company a

very creative environment is important and to discover new talent and develop new talent. I think that's crucial. So that's something that I want to start and then we'll see where that goes, right? We do have a resident choreographer who was a dancer and just retired. He was a product of one of those projects many years ago. That's how he started. But the choreography, this choreographic space hasn't been something that is constant.

and I wanna make this something that happens every year. So the dancers who are interested, they can always think ahead, next year I wanna try to choreograph and they can start thinking about it and getting creative.

Jared Redick (24:54)
Yeah, it's so important that young dancers or dancers in general have the opportunity to have that space and to have those opportunities like that. I think for dancers in general, it's hard to not appreciate the fact that as professional dancers, the majority of our career is about being an interpretive artist. We're given materials and then we're supposed to interpret it versus being a creative artist, which is being a choreographer. And I think

being able to flex both of those muscles, they're so helpful and they're so complimentary of each other. So congratulations on creating that choreographic space for the dancers.

Daniela Cardim (25:33)
Sure,

and also there are a lot of choreographers nowadays that work a lot with improvisation and they actually ask a lot of creativity from the dancers. I myself sometimes depends on the project, but sometimes do work with improvisation and I need that input from the dancers. So the dancers are not just told what to do, they are part of that creative process. And there are more more choreographers working that way nowadays. I think it's very important and

I hope that schools are also starting, I know they are, to give those opportunities for dancers to work with choreographers and work on their creativity as well. Because more and more I see that happening, the expectation that choreographers have that dancers can be a little bit creative as well.

Jared Redick (26:20)
I do think more companies, more schools are incorporating choreographic processes and allowing dancers to find that creativity versus just being a dancer who just interprets information. So that is a good evolution of the art form, at least in ballet. In dance, know, contemporary dance, modern dance, they're always creating their own work.

Daniela Cardim (26:40)
Yes, it's true. And you know, as ballet evolves, we are blurring those boundaries between classical and contemporary sometimes. And I think we have a lot to learn from contemporary dance as well. I do see a lot of value actually in classical dancers taking contemporary class or experiencing some kind of more contemporary or improvisation kind of work.

Jared Redick (27:04)
Yeah, I completely agree. think the more forms of dance that ballet dancers are exposed to, the more informed their performances will be, the more informed their artistry will be.

Daniela Cardim (27:16)
Yes, and that's actually something if you audition for Ballet Arizona in New York or in Phoenix, we will have a classical ballet class. But then after we will have a contemporary improvisation session and I lead those sessions. So I can see the dancers move in a different way and how they interact with other dancers. So that's part of actually our auditioning process.

Jared Redick (27:40)
dancers who are listening to this and who are going to audition for Ballet Arizona, you have a heads up on that. So if you've never improvised before, be ready for that. What's coming up for you? What's exciting about next season?

Daniela Cardim (27:52)
Well, next season is really exciting. We start with Sleeping Beauty, which obviously is a classic and it's one of my favorite ballets. So I am restaging that. Then we have The Nutcracker. After The Nutcracker, we have Alice in Wonderland by Septim Web. Alice is the choice that I made because right when I arrived here, I kept hearing, not like not people wouldn't even say it to me, but I just would hear conversations like, we never did Alice. it would be so nice.

And I was like, well, there are quite a few Alice in Wonderland out there. And I liked Septym's version. It's a very accomplished version. So, and many, many companies do it. So we're bringing Alice in Wonderland. And then after that, we have a very exciting triple build. We are doing Balanchine's Apollo. It is one of my favorite Balanchine pieces. And then we are doing Concertante by Hans van Manen. Hans van Manen is master Dutch choreographer. And I...

was fortunate to see a lot of his works, of course, at Dutch National Ballet. He is a choreographer that choreographed both for Dutch National Ballet, which is the classical company, and DT, Netherlands Dance Theater, which is the more contemporary company. And he really, throughout his career, choreographed for both companies. His work is wonderful, very minimalistic in the way that there are not many sets or costumes. It really is about the dancing and about the tension and relationship between the dancers.

And then we have Crack Tie by Alexander Eichmann, which is, Alexander Eichmann is a fantastic choreographer who is very witty, very daring, and sometimes does some very innovative things. And I saw this piece performed by Netherlands Dance Theater too in London. And it's a piece that I saw and I never forgot.

And you know, when you watch something and that stays with you for years, it's because it's a good work. And of course it's called cacti and we are in Arizona and the desert and we've got many cacti around us. So it just seemed like a perfect combination. So that's a very fun piece and that's program that I'm looking forward to. And then we have our evening at the desert botanical garden. That's a very special performance that we have here at Valley Arizona because of our weather and because

it rarely rains, we actually can perform outdoors. So we have this beautiful stage that we built right outside the Botanical Garden, and we have about 15 performances there outdoors. And this year, so I'm transforming that program used to be a one ballet of around 40 minutes, transforming that into a double-bill. And I'm bringing Concerto 622 by Lara Lobovich, is, you know, for me, one of the greatest American choreographers. had the privilege of dancing this piece, actually.

some time, a long time ago. And it's a wonderful piece with music by Mozart. And I think it's one of those masterpieces that even though it was created a long time ago, it's still very beautiful, very relevant. So we're doing that piece and we are doing Reset, which is a work that I created for West Australian Ballet a couple of years ago, which also was performed outdoors in Australia. And I just thought that was a good fit for this program. So yeah, so there are a lot of new things coming.

Jared Redick (31:11)
Sounds like a great season. I love Cacti. It's so great and very fitting to do it in Arizona there. And I did have the privilege of working with Seb Team with Cincinnati Ballet when he staged Alice there. so much fun partnering work. It's so creative. The audience is going to love it.

Daniela Cardim (31:31)
very challenging for the dancers actually. The choreography is quite hard. it's not just a children's ballet. It is very technically challenging for the dancers. So I like that aspect of it.

Jared Redick (31:44)
Yes, the men in your company, they better be doing their pushups because it's a lot of heavy partnering in it. Yes, please. I like to end every interview with our full circle question. What is one piece of advice you'd give your younger self at the start of your professional career?

Daniela Cardim (31:49)
Six sec.

I think there are two things and one of them I already touched on a little bit. But one thing I would say is be patient. And you know, it's funny when I look back, I did so many auditions. I was in Brazil, but I went to Europe twice. I came to America once. I did a round of auditions in America. I did two rounds of audition in Europe. And I was at the point that I was going to give up. And I got finally the contract at Dutch National Ballet. And when I look back,

I understand that actually I ended up in the right place for me. That was the right company for me to be and at the right time because I was a little bit older and then I had the mental kind of structure to move from Brazil to Holland, right? I would tell myself, be patient and know that all those auditions that you didn't get the job is not the end of the world and trust a little bit, you know, I don't know, destiny, but trust a little bit that things happen.

for a reason and you're gonna land where you're meant to be. That's definitely something that I would tell myself. And the other thing is something I already touched on, which is enjoy it. know, actually the years when I was dancing, those were the best years of my life. They were wonderful and it was such a privilege to be a dancer and perform those wonderful works.

work with really interesting people and choreographers. And I did enjoy it, but I wish I really had clear picture that how special that was. So that's one thing too, I would tell myself, enjoy it and don't focus so much on the little negative things that happen around you because that's part of it. You know, it's part of the profession. It's not always going to be wonderful, but in general, those years are very special in your life.

Jared Redick (33:47)
Thank you so much for that wonderful advice for our young dancers who are listening. Those things can get lost in the shuffle, the idea of appreciating what you're doing when you're doing it. Yes. Thank you so much for being here today, Daniella. It's been a real pleasure speaking with you and getting to know more about your career and what you're doing at Ballet Arizona. We'll link to the company's website where our audience can learn more about the company and follow your fantastic upcoming season.

And thank you once again, Daniella, for being here today.

Daniela Cardim (34:19)
very

welcome. Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure.

Jared Redick (34:22)
And if you liked our conversation here today, you can follow Company Secrets podcast on all platforms and on our website, companysecretspodcast.com. Thank you for listening because the stage is only part of the story.